Zelenskyy Unveils “Victory Plan” to Strengthen Ukraine, Force Russia to Negotiate
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, arriving in the United States for a week of high-stakes diplomacy, said in an exclusive interview with “Good Morning America” that he believes the war with Russia is “closer to an end” than many believe. He underscored the importance of strengthening Ukraine to force Russia to negotiate on fair terms.
“The plan of victory is **strengthening of Ukraine**, ” Zelenskyy emphasized during a sit-down interview with “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts. “That’s why we’re asking our friends, our allies, to strengthen us. It’s very important.”
Zelenskyy, who is in New York for the United Nations General Assembly this week, plans to present his “Victory Plan” to President Joe Biden and other key American political leaders. While declining to disclose specifics before the presentation, Zelenskyy confirmed the plan aims to bolster Ukraine with the goal of compelling Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate. He expressed skepticism about Putin’s willingness for genuine discussions.
“It’s not about negotiation with Russia,” Zelenskyy told Roberts. “It’s a bridge to a diplomatic way out, to stop the war. Only in the strong position we can push, we can push Putin to stop the war, diplomatic way.”
A source close to Zelenskyy informed ABC News that the plan comprises five points, with a core focus on specific figures and amounts of military assistance for Ukraine, along with diplomatic and political steps. The plan does not include concessions to Russia, but aims to force the Kremlin to end the war.
Zelenskyy stressed the “urgent” nature of the plan, designed to end the war quickly, not prolong it “one year, or two years or three years.”
While Zelenskyy acknowledged the potential impact of the US election on support for Ukraine, he emphasized the need for preparedness. He intends to discuss the “Victory Plan” with both presidential candidates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
“I’m so sorry. I know that you have your challenges. But I have to underline it and to repeat,” he said. “We can’t now be weak. We can’t relax. Because we didn’t stop Putin. Didn’t stop him in his crazy ideas. That’s why we have to be strong and I’m asking to understand us. And I think that we are closer to the peace than we think. We are closer to the end of the war. We just have to be very strong, very strong.”
Zelenskyy also reiterated his plea for the United States to lift restrictions on the long-range missiles provided to Ukraine, allowing them to strike targets deep inside Russia. He believes this would enable Ukraine to target Russian airbases used to launch bombs into eastern Ukraine.
“But the main role is in the United States, in the president of United States, Biden. Everybody’s looking up to him, and we need this to defend ourselves,” he emphasized.
Putin, however, has warned that using Western weapons to strike targets in Russia would constitute an act of war by NATO countries and promised a response.
Alongside Zelenskyy, first lady Olena Zelenska is also attending events at the General Assembly, focusing on the war’s impact on children. Zelenska is advocating for greater international support to return tens of thousands of Ukrainian children deported to Russia. She stated that at least 19,500 children remain held in Russia, but the actual number could be significantly higher.
She emphasized the need for a concerted effort to bring the children back, citing the slow pace of return through negotiations. Only 308 children have been brought back so far, and she hopes a 30-country coalition can accelerate the process.
“This can’t carry on like this. If we are going to bring our children back at this rate, we will need more than 30 years to bring them back,” she said. “So we need to bring pressure to bear to make sure they can be brought back.”